Star Wars: Alliances of Destiny
by Vinnie Warlock
Summary: Summary: Two years after the Battle of Jakku, the crew of the Ghost have a solid lead to the whereabouts of Ezra Bridger, a path that leads them into the Unknown Regions of the Galaxy. Timeline: Alternate Canon post-Empire's End
1. One: Ten Years Later

STAR WARS

ALLIANCES OF DESTINY

* * *

 **Summary:** Two years after the Battle of Jakku, the crew of the Ghost have a solid lead to the whereabouts of Ezra Bridger, a path that leads them into the Unknown Regions of the Galaxy.

 **Timeline:** Alternate Canon post-Empire's End

* * *

CHAPTER ONE

TEN YEARS LATER

* * *

[Unknown Regions, 9ABY]

— Okay, this is the star system. — **Hera Syndulla** said, looking again at the navicomputer.

 **Sabine Wren** and **Zeb** looked out the viewports at the emptiness of space with the distant binary stars and the debris of what had been at one time a planet or moon forming an asteroid belt around it.

— That's pretty. — Zeb said

— And deadly. — **Alexandr Kallus** said, looking at the sensor readings. — We should avoid getting too close to those asteroids. There is a lot of metallic debris flying wild around there.

— What about the planets? — Sabine asked.

Kallus touched the panel, trying to get some readings:

— Three planets, two of them without atmosphere. — He informed.

— And the third? — The Mandalorian asked

— Carbon Dioxide, mainly, very dense and hot. — the former spy informed — No human life can survive there.

Sabine lowered her head, not masking her disappointment, and turned with sadness to the viewport.

" _Where are you, Ezra?",_ she thought.

— Do not despair, Sabine — **Ahsoka Tano** said, as she entered the bridge. — The Force has brought us this far. I can feel the clear path ahead.

From behind the Jedi, **Jacen Syndulla** ran, jumping into the co-pilot's seat. Hera looked at her son, and smiled:

— How was your lesson, sweetie? — the Twi'lek General asked.

— It was awesome! — Jacen said, enthusiastic — I got to reassemble and align the aeromagnifier with the Force! Master Tano said I'm a natural.

Hera leaned to kiss the top of the head of her son, and looked back at Ahsoka, who smiled at her.

When they embarked in this quest to find Ezra, their initial incursions pointed out to the Wild Space and possibly beyond. Sabine, together with Ahsoka, Zeb and Hera were able to procure a disabled Mandalorian _Crusader-Class Corvette_ , and with the sponsorship of Mothma and Organa, they reconditioned the ship for what they knew would be a long journey, and minimum crew. They had named the ship _Spectre_.

They had been almost an year into Wild Space, navigating the difficult and narrow hyperspace lanes around the sector, collecting charts, following rumors and trying to find clues to Erza's location. They had been almost three months beyond the Hyperspace Barrier, investigating reports rumors of sightings and Imperial activity, when the Empire had fallen at Jakku two years before.

— Well, I guess we're off to the next system then. — Zeb said.

— I would say so. — Hera said — Let's finish the scans and depart.

Ahsoka felt a shiver through her spine, and said:

— Wait. — She spoke — There is something out there.

Kallus looked again at the sensor readings:

— I'm not detecting anything. — He said.

Jacen grabbed his mother's sleeve and tucked her:

— I can feel it too, mom! — He said, and with a scared expression, added — It's bad.

Both Ahsoka and Jacen pointed out the viewport and the Jedi said:

— There! — Tano pointed.

— I see it! — Kallus said, the blink on the sensor appearing from behind the second planet.

Sabine jumped on the tactical station, and said:

— Multiple bogeys, approaching fast. — The Mandalorian said.

— Are they Imperial? — Zeb asked.

— Negative. — Kallus replied — Unknown configuration.

— Do we engage? — Zeb asked.

Hera started to move the ship:

— Negative. — She said — That is not what we came here for. Chopper, get us back to the last jump point.

 **Chopper** moved from where he was next to the navicomputer port, inputting the reverse coordinates. With a whistle he let the General know they were ready:

— Let's get out of here. — Hera said, activating the hyperdrive.

For a moment, they saw starlines, but then, almost at the same time, they reverted back to real space.

— What happened? — Sabine asked.

— I don't know. — Kallus said — Some sort of gravity well. Ships incoming!

Zeb jumped on the tactical console next to Kallus and said:

— I guess the option to get away is out now. — the Lasat warrior said.

— Raise shields , arm cannons, but don't shoot. — Hera said. — Perhaps, once they see our teeth, they might decide it is not wise to engage.

It was not a priority to the crew to recondition the laser cannons of the _Spectre_ , but upon insistence from both Generals Dodonna and Draven, they delayed their departure by almost a month in order to fix and automate the cannons on the corvette, and right now, Hera was really glad they were so insistent.

— They are in weapons range. — Sabine said

— I guess our range is bigger than theirs. — Zeb said.

— Ships firing! — Kallus said

Sure enough, once the small fighters got into their firing range, they opened fire against the _Spectre_. Most of the shots stopped at the shields, but a few got through, stopping at the Doonium hull, and shaking the ship slightly.

— Shall we return fire? — Sabine asked.

— By all means. — Hera said. — But disable only. Let's try to avoid unnecessary losses.

The Mandalorian girl smirked and went to work on the cannons. Ordinarily each cannon would be manned individually, but with a crew of just a few people, they had to find an alternate solution. She assigned the targets on the sensor grid for the cannons and alternated between them to fire manually while the targeting computers did most of the work.

— Hah! Gotcha! — Zeb exclaimed, as he shot the engines of one of their attackers.

— Good shot, Zeb. — Sabine said.

From the comm, the voice of **Rex** was heard:

— _Are we under attack?_ — The Clone Captain asked.

— Yes, we are. — Hera said. — Care to man one of the cannons, Rex?

— _I thought you would never ask_ — Rex said, and shouted out of the comm, but in range — _Hey, Wolfe, get the kids, we have target practice!_

Hera would have smiled, had ship not jolted again because of the enemy fire.

— Kallus, have you located the source of their gravity well? — Hera asked.

— Not yet. — Alexandr replied — But we have more company.

— This is not good. — Sabine said.

Observing the tactical projection, Ahsoka moved close to Hera:

— The asteroid ring. — The Trogutan said — We must seek refuge into the ring.

— That would be suicide. — Kallus replied — We would not last long there.

— I'm inclined to agree with Alexandr, Ahsoka. — Hera said — This ship is not as maneuverable as the _Ghost._

— It is maneuverable enough for a pilot attuned to the Force. — She said, placing her hand on Jacen's shoulder.

Hera's eyes widened, and Sabine and Kallus looked at the Jedi:

— You must be kidding me. — Sabine said

Ahsoka ignored the comment and spoke to Jacen:

— You can do it, Jacen, just like you concentrated to assemble the aeromagnifier. — Tano said. — Just breathe, and focus.

Hera looked at her young son close his eyes and take a deep breath. His expression changed from apprehension to eerie calm. His hands reached the controls and the Twi'lek let go, praying silently that Kanan was watching over their son.

The ship moved in response to his command, and they accelerated towards the asteroids. Hera kept an eye on her son and on the controls, ready to take control at any second if necessary. She taught him how to fly a ship when they decided to join Sabine's search for Ezra, and there was no doubt in her mind how prodigious her son's talents to fly were, but this was the first time she was actually letting him fly in a serious situation.

She glanced over to Ahsoka, and saw her with her eyes closed and her hand stretched out to Jacen, and she was glad in that moment that the Jedi was there for her son.

— Four more ships jumped into the system. — Alexandr said. — And no sign of the damn gravity well.

— Moving into the field. — Jacen announced.

All the crew held in anticipation as the _Spectre_ ventured inside the asteroid field. The enemy fighters moved in as well, and immediately one of them paid the price, as the ship exploded in a piece of debris that hit the ship square on. The corvette moved through the debris, avoiding all of the big ones and the asteroids as they flew in.

— They are moving to the edges of the field. — Zeb said.

— Then we must move through the field. — Ahsoka said.

Jacen nodded and kept bringing the ship deeper into the field, and they started gaining distance from their attackers, whe out of nowhere, a TIE Fighter , or at least what looked like a TIE crossed the space right next to them, moving fast the way they were coming from.

— What the blazes?! — Hera exclaimed.

— Another one! — Kallus said — And another!

The two other strange TIEs flew fast past them, and on the comm, they heard a communication from one of the pilots:

— _Republic Corvette, move out of the field on vector 012-045-221_ — The TIE pilot said — _We will take care of the Grysk ships_.

Hera looked at Kallus, and the former Imperial said:

— They are engaging these "Grysks" — Kallus informed

— As long as they are not shooting at us... — Zeb said

— Take us out of here, pilot. — Hera said, looking at Jacen

— Yes Sir, General! — Jacen replied, playfully. Once they moved out of the field, they saw two more wings of TIEs, these composed of five Defenders and five of the same strange TIE they had just encountered, and like the others, they ignored them, flying straight to the enemy.

As they approached the coordinates, three Imperial Star Destroyers jumped in front of them

— Evasive maneuvers! — Hera said, with urgency

— Wait. — Ahsoka interjected — look at the markings on the one in the middle.

The crew all looked at the viewport, and they immediately recognized the light paint on the underside of the Destroyer.

— The _Chimaera_! — Sabine said, standing up from her seat.

It was, no doubt, the flagship of the Seventh Fleet, Thrawn's flagship.

— Incoming transmission — Kallus said.

The voice of a woman came out of the speakers:

— _Republic's Corvette, this is Admiral Faro of the Star Destroyer Chimaera._ — The voice said — _Get in our hangar, while we take care of this nuisance._

Hera looked at Sabine, Zeb, Ahsoka and Kallus, and the Lasat spoke:

— If we are to find Ezra, nothing better than asking the people he vanished with. — Zeb said

Hera looked at the others, and then nodded. Kallus then communicated back:

— _Chimaera_ , this is the Corvette _Spectre._ We are moving to dock with you ship. — He said.

After a few seconds of silence, they replied:

— _Agent Kallus, fancy meeting you here._ — Faro replied — _It has been a long time._

Alexandr winced, not knowing if that was good or bad:

— At least she knows you. — Zeb said.

— I don't know if that is a good thing or not. — Kallus replied.

Over the speakers, the crew heard another communication:

— _Chimaera to Vanguard Squadron, Clear the space._ —

They saw the TIEs move away from the enemy, and then the powerful laser cannons from the three Destroyers blew the enemy fighters with surprisingly ease.

— _Enemy neutralized_ — The TIE pilot said — _Proceeding to destroy the gravity well._

— _Aye aye, Milord._ — Chimaera replied — _Don't take long, we have guests to entertain._

— _Roger that._ — the pilot replied.

Sabine looked at Zeb and Kallus at a loss, and Hera looked at Ahsoka, who seemed very calm.

— I guess we are to be entertained. — The Jedi said.

* * *

[ISD _Chimaera_ ]

Hera came down the ramp of the _Spectre_ expecting guns pointed at them, but to her surprise, it was just the Admiral and another officer waiting for them. **Karyn Faro** approached the Twi'lek and respectfully saluted her:

— General Syndulla, welcome aboard the _Chimaera._ — The Admiral said — I'm Admiral Karyn Faro, mistress of this ship.

To Hera's surprise, Faro extended her hand, and she took it, shaking hands in a surprisingly amicable gesture.

— Thank you. — Hera said — I must admit, this was a much warmer reception than I thought we were going to get.

— The war between us is over, General. — Faro said — It has been over from the moment our fleet was pulled from Lothal. Here, in the Unknown Regions, our enemy is another one, much more vicious and dangerous than the former Rebellion.

— The Grysks. — Kallus said

Faro turned to him, and said:

— Precisely , Agent Kallus. — Faro said — They are the biggest current threat to the Galaxy, but by no means they are the only ones out here.

Sabine was ready to interfere and ask about Ezra, when Faro saw somebody moving behind them.

— Oh, there you are. — Faro said

They all turned to see, walking their way, three TIE pilots, in their black armor. Only that they didn't look like the classic armor, but a upgraded, more sleek design.

— Milord, how nice of you to join us. — Faro said, with a hint of sarcasm.

— The well has been destroyed. — The lead figure in the pilot's uniform said — Prepare to jump to lightspeed. Set course to Nirauan.

The officer besides Faro, Lieutenant Commander **Lomar** , saluted and said:

— Right away, Milord. — Lomar said, turning on his heels to get far enough to relay the orders to the bridge.

The pilot turned to Hera and the others, and he saw Ahsoka look straight at him and the thin smile that crept in her face. He spoke something in a language that they didn't understand, but his two companions did, as they saluted and moved towards one of the blast doors.

He detached his helmet and proceeded to remove it, earning gasps and expressions of shock as they recognized him. Faro took a bit o pleasure in seeing the surprise in the former Rebels faces, so she added:

— I believe you already know each other — Faro said — But nonetheless, allow me to introduce you our Executor, Lord **Ezra Bridger**.

Ezra looked at them with an unemotional expression for a moment, just to break it down in a smirk:

— What took you so long? — He asked, casually.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER


	2. Two: The Hand of Thrawn

STAR WARS

ALLIANCES OF DESTINY

* * *

 **Summary:** Two years after the Battle of Jakku, the crew of the Ghost have a solid lead to the whereabouts of Ezra Bridger, a path that leads them into the Unknown Regions of the Galaxy.

 **Timeline:** Alternate Canon post-Empire's End

* * *

Empire of the Hand:

Grand Admiral Thrawn (Aristocra Regent)

Executor Ezra Bridger (Syndic Commander)

Grand Admiral Rae Sloane

Admiral Karyn Faro

Admiral Gilad Pellaeon

Senior Lieutenant Chir'da Ayehe

* * *

CHAPTER TWO

THE HAND OF THRAWN

* * *

[Unknown Regions, 9ABY]

The _Chimaera_ was in route to Nirauan, their capital base, as the Imperials informed.

In the office that once belonged to the Grand Admiral, **Ezra Bridger** and **Karyn Faro** were hosting the _Spectre_ crew, and they were having a hard time swallowing the new position of their former ally.

— So, you are second in command of the Empire now? — **Sabine Wren** asked, still not believing what she was hearing. — Like Vader was to Palpatine?

— Not like the relation between Vader and Palpatine. — Ezra corrected — But as far as the chain of command goes, it is correct.

— And that is because of these Grysks? — **Hera Syndulla** asked.

Ezra moved around the table, and it was clear how much he had changed, for the man before them moved silently and the shadows seemed to loom around him. But at the same time, he was still capable of the same easy smile that was so familiar to them.

— Grysks, Killiks, Ssi-Ruuk, Vagaari, Necromancers, Far Outsiders, the Occasional Mad Force Wielder, Ancient Threats to All Sentient Life in the Galaxy... — Ezra listed all his foes — I found out very quickly that unknown does not mean uninhabited.

— It was hard at first. — Faro said, leaning against the desk, looking more relaxed than Kallus remembered her to be — The Purgills did a number on our Star Destroyers, and for the first few months it was basically a struggle for survival. Lord Bridger's buddies all but crippled the Seventh Fleet.

Ezra leaned forward at the Admiral with a smirk:

— You were asking for it. — Ezra said — I was more than happy to oblige you.

The way Ezra and Karyn were talking made Sabine slightly suspicious that they were just a bit too friendly. Faro rose straight again, moving away from the desk:

— Yes, yes, we were the big bad oppressors and we left you no choice but vanish us all to the middle of the unknown. — Faro said — I admitted my sins and apologized in more ways than one.

— To me you did. — Bridger said — But not to them.

He waved his hand, indicating Hera and her friends. Faro's eyes widened for a brief moment, and her military composure took over:

— General Syndulla. — The Admiral spoked hastily — In the name of my crew and myself, I apologize for the oppression I helped perpetuate against the people of Lothal. Lord Bridger helped us to see the error of our doctrine.

Hera was surprised once again, and she approached the Admiral:

— The Empire committed many crimes in Lothal and in many other parts of the Galaxy — Hera started — I don't know if a apology is enough, but it is a start.

She offered her hand, and Faro took it, shaking hands again. **Ahsoka Tano** rose from her chair and looked at Ezra:

— You asked why we took so long to find you. — Tano said — You were expecting us.

It wasn't a question, but an affirmation. Ezra nodded his head:

— I gave you all the clues to find me. — Ezra said — The least I expected was for you to find me.

— Clues? — **Zeb** asked — You gave us clues?

Ezra sat in the chair behind the desk, and touched the arm console. A map of the Galaxy was projected on the ceiling, and it was very discerning the path and stops the _Spectre_ took along the journey until that moment.

— A nudge thought the Force here, a alleged sighting there, and finally, the reports of Imperial activity to convince you to cross the Hyperspace Barrier and come here. — Bridger explained.

— But why? — Sabine asked — If you knew we were looking for you, why not come to us?I assume you are free to leave if you want to, right?

The question was to Ezra, but she looked at Faro too:

— Yes, Sabine, I am free to go anywhere I want — Ezra said

— If so, why bring us here? — **Alexsandr Kallus** asked.

Faro and Bridger exchanged glances, and she said:

— That is for the Grand Admiral to reveal to you. — Karyn said.

— Thrawn? — Hera asked — So, where is him?

* * *

[Nirauan, Hand of Thrawn]

The _Ghost_ , which was docked in the _Spectre's_ hangar, followed the coordinates down into the structure known as _Hand of Thrawn_.

— To name his palace after his own hand. — Hera said — That is more megalomania than I gave Thrawn credit for.

Behind her, Ezra, who had offered to travel down to the surface with them, chuckled.

— What's funny? — Sabine asked.

— Thrawn didn't name the fortress. — He said — I did.

— You? Why? — She asked.

Ezra shrugged:

— It looked like a hand, and since he's the boss, I thought it would annoy him. — Ezra said

— And did it? Annoy him? — Zeb asked

— He stared at me in silence for almost a minute, before looking down at his pad and walk away. — Ezra said.

Alexsandr smirked and said:

— He was definitively annoyed. — The former Imperial said.

— We're getting communication from the ground. — Hera said.

— Allow me. — Bridger said

He leaned towards the console and activated the comm:

— This is Syndic Bridger — He spoke — We are landing on my usual spot. Have transportation ready and inform the Aristocra of my arrival.

— _Right away, Milord._ — The officer on the other side replied

Kallus looked at Bridger, confused:

— Aristocra? Syndic? — He repeated

— Aristocra is the Ruler, in this case, Thrawn — Ezra explained — Syndic is the military leader, myself in this case. These are Chiss terminologies.

Ezra instructed them where to land, and sure enough a transport waited them. He walked ahead of the group, down the ramp, and was saluted by two stormtroopers that were clearly aliens by the size and shape of their armor. Bridger spoke with them briefly, and they moved to be be stand guard at the _Ghost._

Hera saw, much to her surprise, a couple of Twi'leks in Imperial uniform:

— There are aliens in the Empire now? — Syndulla asked

— Palpatine upheld a humanocentric policy to play on resentment from the clone wars — Bridger said — Thrawn have many flaws, but xenophobia is not one of them. As long as the planet they reside in is a member of the Empire, anyone is eligible to join.

He sat in the driver seat and one of the Twi'leks, wearing the olive uniform and the ranks of Senior Lieutenant approached the group:

— Lieutenant Ayehe. — Ezra greeted her

— Lord Bridger — **Chir'da Ayehe** saluted, and in a sultry voice, added — I procured the pieces you were looking for.

Ezra looked at the girl with a half-amused expression, and then turned to his guests:

— Guys, this is Chir'da Ayehe, my supply officer for "exotic" items. — Ezra said

She shook her head slightly:

— He means I'm the resident smuggler. — Chir'da corrected.

Ezra rolled his eyes, and ignored the remark:

— These are my friends from Lothal — He spoke, and she spoke over him:

— Yes, the legendary crew of the _Ghost_. — Chir'da said — Even if your holos were not in the database, I would still recognize all of you just by Ezra's stories.

Sabine and Hera exchanged glances, as the Imperial added:

— The only thing that would make me surprised is if Luke Skywalker himself were accompanying you — Chir'da said, and looking at the _Ghost_ , she asked — He's not hiding inside, is he?

Ahsoka nodded in negative with amusement:

— No, Luke Skywalker is not hiding in the ship. —The Jedi said

Ayehe approached Zeb, and eying at him head to toe, the Lieutenant added:

— Hmm, by Ezra's description, I thought you would be taller... — Chir'da said.

— Well, I was shorter before. — Bridger defended himself.

— I hope he didn't make me uglier than I am too — Zeb said.

The Twi'lek looked at him and letting her finger run by the collar of his suit, she said:

— You're as handsome as he described, Captain Orrelios. — Ayehe said.

Zeb was taken back by the compliment, and the Lieutenant turned straight back at Erza:

— Anyway, those pieces were not easy to find. — She said — The price went up 50%.

Bridger put a hand on his belt, right next to his lightsaber:

— You know extortion is a crime, right? — He said, with a predatory smile — And you also know that I have a lightsaber and I can Wield the Force, right?

— And if you Choke me with your powers, or strike me down with you very elegant weapon... — She replied — May I ask who, my Dear Executor, will indulge you and our Leader in the passion for artifacts with such diligence?

The answer didn't came from Ezra, but from a very familiar voice to all of them:

— No one, Senior Lieutenant Ayehe, would indulge my peculiar tastes which I imprinted on Lord Bridger with such diligence. — Grand Admiral **Thrawn** said, coming out of a corridor

Ezra immediately got up, and Chir'da got straighter, saluting her superior:

— Your Excellency. — Ayehe exclaimed.

Hera observed as the Grand Admiral walked towards them. He was older, with Grey hair on the sides, and a few wrinkles, barely discernible in his blue skin. The white uniform he wore resembled the one from the past, with the addition of a cape.

She looked at him coldly as the Chiss approached:

— At ease, Senior Lieutenant — Thrawn said, to which Chir'da complied immediately.

— Grand Admiral — Ezra acknowledged him.

— Executor — Thrawn acknowledged back.

He moved to Hera and her crew, and bowed at her gentlemanly:

— General Syndulla, it is a pleasure to see you again. — Thrawn said. — You as well, Miss Wren, Agent Kallus, Knight Tano.

— Thank you, Admiral — Hera replied with cold civility. — I wish I could say the same.

— I wouldn't believe if you did. — Thrawn replied — Despite our differences, our interactions beyond our first encounter have always been... Honest.

— Then I hope this honesty will be maintained as you explain why you lured us here. — Syndulla said.

— Absolutely, General. — The Chiss replied, and then he noticed the child behind her — And this, I believe, is your son?

Hera looked down and to the side, and **Jacen Syndulla** stepped forward. He looked up to the Grand Admiral, and extended his hand:

— I'm Jacen Syndulla. — Jacen said

— Greetings, young Jacen, and welcome to Nirauan. — Thrawn said, shaking his hand.

He looked at all the others and said:

— Now, please, come with me. — He said, stepping to the side and gesturing the way for them to get in the transport— We have much to talk.

* * *

[Hand of Thrawn, The Aristocra Collection]

The Grand Admiral took the party to a turbolift, walking them to the upper levels of the First Tower. Much to Sabine's annoyance, Ezra and Chir'da kept their banter, finally deciding on a 20% premium on whatever it was Bridger had hired the Twi'lek to find. First it was Faro, and now Ayehe. The way he behaved informally with both women bothered the Mandalorian, even if she didn't admit to herself.

They arrived at a big circular hall, filled with artifacts from the most distant parts of the Galaxy. Hera looked around, and commented:

— I see you still have a knack for taking things that don't belong to you. — she said

— Some are spoils of war, some are gifts. — Thrawn said — Many had been procured by Lieutenant Ayehe or other individuals of similar talents.

From behind them, Ezra spoke:

— Once I got the taste for collecting from him, I reached an understanding with him regarding his methods of acquisition. — He revealed.

— So, you are into art too? — Zeb asked — I imagined that you would turn out like that. I mean, besides the whole Imperial Lord stuff.

Kallus nudged Zeb and pointed with a nod to a Lasat sculpture.

— I believe this belongs to my people, Admiral. — Zeb said.

Thrawn turned to the sculpture, and approached it:

— A remarkable piece of art, Captain. — Thrawn said — the more remarkable that you can't say it is a replica.

— A replica? — Kallus repeated, looking at the sculpture.

— Once we heard that the Lasat were not extinct, we commissioned a copy and sent the original back to Lira San — Ezra revealed.

Both Kallus and Zeb turned around, surprised at the revelation:

— Wait, you know about Lira San? — Zeb asked.

— We keep ourselves informed, Captain Orrelios. — Thrawn said. — Besides, it was good to know that the burden of guilt Agent Kallus carried with him is gone now.

Alexsandr looked at the Chiss with a dark expression, but the Chiss remained unfazed:

— One of the many sins I have to atone for, Admiral. — Kallus said.

— As do I, Agent. — The Grand Admiral said — As do all of us, some much more than others.

— If it is atonement you seek, Admiral, the New Republic have a very fair War Tribunal. — Sabine said.

Again, Thrawn was unfazed:

— True, Miss Wren. — the Chiss said — Perhaps I could even escape execution and endure a life in prison, but that would not serve the Galaxy nearly as much as my work here does.

Sabine didn't look convinced, and Ezra added:

— Thrawn is right. The Empire of the Hand stands between the known Galaxy and threats that, if left unchecked, could be the undoing of galactic civilization. — He said, with a seriousness in his voice that Sabine had heard only when he had the Sith Holocron — The Force brought us here for a reason. And that reason is to preserve life, to defend the Galaxy.

He looked at all of them with an almost unrecognizable darkness, and many wondered if he was even the same Ezra. It was Thrawn that appeased defused the situation, using gentleness that Hera didn't know he was capable of. He approached Ezra and put a hand in his shoulders:

— You are worrying your friends, Ezra, and Sabine is right to mistrust me. — The Grand Admiral said. — The last they saw us I was about to commit a unforgivable sin and wipe out Lothal's Capital City.

Ahsoka looked at both sentients, and she didn't feel any deception through the Force:

— He is being sincere. — The Togrutan Jedi said — This is genuine change, and I felt not only on the Grand Admiral, but in every Imperial we've met.

Sabine glanced at Ahsoka and then at Thrawn and Ezra:

— I trust your judgment, Ahsoka. — The Mandalorian said — But it is still a lot to wrap my head around.

— It is completely understandable, Miss Wren. — The Chiss said, still with the same gentleness — I don't expect to earn your trust or forgiveness overnight, but I it my hope that we can put aside our differences to fight alongside against those who seek to destroy the people of the Galaxy.

The crew exchanged glances, and Thrawn moved towards another section of his collection. Ezra made a gesture for them to follow:

— But before you decide, there is something I must do. — Thrawn said.

They walked up the stair into a less lit room, and immediately Sabine saw something she didn't expect: the painted panel of the TIE fighter they stole.

Kallus noticed the radio equipment he used as Fulcrum next to another wall, and his helmet and armor right next to it. Zeb saw a Lasat honor guard armor being illuminated by flood lights.

Ahsoka saw, to her astonishment, a painting of Anakin and Padmé with the Black Spire of Batuu in the background.

Hera and Jacen noticed the statue of Kanan in the center, and she felt sadness, but also comfort and love. Whoever had sculpted that statue had to know him well.

— Your father was a great warrior, young one. — Thrawn said, stepping next to him and Hera — We've met in opposite sides, and it is my loss that I didn't get to know him in a way other than an adversary. The Galaxy is less for his loss.

Hera was at a loss for words, as she saw Jacen approach the statue and touch its plaque. She looked at Thrawn, impressed with him.

— Thank you. — She said.

He merely nodded.

— Why are Anakin and Senator Amidala here? — Ahsoka asked.

— That is from when I met them for the first time, in a planet not that far from here, called Batuu. — Thrawn said.

He approached Ahsoka and looked at the picture:

— I couldn't convey my respects when Skywalker's wife died, and when I finally realized he was Darth Vader, it was too late for that. — He said, with a lower tone — So I painted this picture, to remember them in more happy times.

Alexsandr looked at the Grand Admiral:

— Why did you keep my equipment? — He asked.

— I didn't keep anything, Agent Kallus. — Thrawn corrected him — all of these were built as near-perfect copies of the originals, at the exception of the statue of Jedi Jarrus, of course.

— Okay, but why? — Sabine asked — Why go through all this trouble?

Thrawn turned to the Mandalorian and said:

— Have you ever suffered a defeat so devastated that you couldn't envision the bigger picture, Miss Wren? — Thrawn asked. — The kind of setback that destroys your purpose?

His red glowing eyes looked into hers:

— Lothal was that to me. — Thrawn confessed — I lost the battle, the planet, I failed my Emperor, my crusade to protect my people, and almost lost my fleet. It was the urgency of survival that kept me from drowning in my own failure.

He approached the statue again and said:

— But once survival was assured, once the people under my command and whose lives I was responsible for were out of risk, the thoughts of my defeat started to occupy my mind. — The Chiss said, looking at the statue — At every corner I executed my strategy and plans flawlessly, and still I endured defeats in Atollon and Lothal. And when I shared my thoughts with Ezra, at every turn he showed so much confidence in their victory that made me consider other factors I had ignored before.

From where Ezra was, he spoke:

— I told him to consider those he had fought against, but not only as adversaries, but as sentients. — Bridger said — And I shared with him my experiences as part of this family.

— And you started creating these pieces? — Sabine asked.

— Precisely, Miss Wren. — the Grand Admiral replied.

She nodded her head:

— I can see the logic in that. — She said.

— In doing so, also gave me insight in Ezra's mind, and helped forge our relationship from an alliance in the name of survival to an alliance of trust, respect and shared duty. — Thrawn explained — And when time came to take a stand once again, to reorganize our forces and establish this Empire, we did so sharing the same vision.

Hera looked at Ezra and the Chiss, and around, before she looked at them again:

— As much as surprises me, I trusted Ezra with my life before, and I'm ready to do it again — Syndulla said — I am ready hear your proposal, Admiral.

A thin smile appeared on the Chiss, and he walked past the statue:

— I am grateful to hear you say that, General, but I'm not done yet. — Thrawn said.

Hers followed him from the other side of the statue, and saw him approach another panel, this one that was not immediately visible, being guarded by a curtain:

— That statue was for all of you, but this here, I made for you, Hera Syndulla. — Thrawn said.

He moved the curtains apart, and Hera gasped, as she saw the mosaic of her family, exactly as it was in their house in Ryloth.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER


	3. Three: The Empire of the Hand

STAR WARS

ALLIANCES OF DESTINY

* * *

 **Summary:** Two years after the Battle of Jakku, the crew of the Ghost have a solid lead to the whereabouts of Ezra Bridger, a path that leads them into the Unknown Regions of the Galaxy.

 **Timeline:** Alternate Canon post-Empire's End

* * *

Empire of the Hand:

Grand Admiral Thrawn (Aristocra Regent)

Executor Ezra Bridger (Syndic Commander)

Grand Moff Eli Vanto (Syndic Administrator)

Grand Admiral Rae Sloane

Baron Soontir Fel

Fleet Admiral Karyn Faro

Fleet Admiral Gilad Pellaeon

Commodore Sil Sorannan

Commander Eistern

Senior Lieutenant Chir'da Ayehe

Lieutenant Dak'Huun'Nnrass/Dakun

Chiss Ascendancy:

Mahgg'nuussvyyk Thurzz'bheerg/Darth Magnus (Syndic)

* * *

CHAPTER THREE

THE EMPIRE OF THE HAND

* * *

PROLOGUE

— So, let me see if I heard this right... — Hera said, looking at Thrawn — You want to give _me_ a fleet?

Unflinching, the Grand Admiral stared back at her from behind his desk:

— Precisely — Thrawn replied.

He grabbed something from the drawer in his desk and placed on the table. Hera's eyes widened when she saw the plaque of twelve squares, six, blues, five reds and a single golden, the Chiss offered here:

— What say you, _Admiral_?— Thrawn asked.

* * *

[Unknown Regions, Three Weeks Later]

 **Hera Syndulla** walked out of the turbolift and into the bridge of the the Executor-class Super Star Destroyer _Phoenix_. Her Super Star Destroyer. And the fleet that accompanied it. A fleet that Thrawn had entrusted to her. The same Thrawn that a decade ago hunted her and her friends. The man who went through great effort to give her back a little piece of her past and heritage. The man who was persevering the same Empire she fought to be rid of.

No, not the same Empire. The Empire of The Hand was not xenophobic, nor allowed slavery. They protected civilians around the sectors under its rule, but not merely for exploitation of its resources and workforce; planets members of the Empire of The Hand benefited from planning and organization that brought wealth and better living conditions in the long run. Besides, Ezra was second in command, and not just on paper. Hera spoke with officers in all levels of the hierarchy, and he was really respected, like Thrawn was.

But still, it didn't feel real. The Ivory uniform, the twelve-square plaque in her chest, the four code cylinders, and the unmistakable Imperial fashion code of jodhpurs and black boots, to match the black gloves she was given (and that currently were in her pocket). At least she didn't have a cape like Thrawn and Sloane.

— Admiral on deck! — Commander **Eistern** shouted, almost making the Twi'lek jump.

Hera recovered quickly, and walked toward the viewport, approaching the human Commander on the way:

— Good Morning, Fleet Admiral. — the Commander said, with a smile.

— You enjoyed that, didn't you? —Syndulla said, sarcastically.

— That I did, Admiral, but I'm still disappointed that you didn't draw your blaster like the first time. — Eistern joked.

Hera winced, remembering the very vexing episode in her first day as mistress of the fleet.

— I wonder if Admiral Faro would put up with this abuse. — Hera said.

— I wouldn't know — Eistern shrugged — I came with the ship.

That he did. Eistern, her Executive Officer Sorannan and a few hundreds other officers that were rescued by Thrawn's Empire from a xenophobic race that seized control of the Black Sword Fleet, which now she commanded, or at least what was left of it, after the redistribution of assets between the fleets, but more than enough to be a very powerful force. They endured slavery under captivity, and now served under her. Imperials with had an unique perspective in freedom under a Rebel turned admiral.

Hera thought Thrawn was scheming some grand plan at first, but he was serious in his offer. The former rebel fighter was now an Admiral commanding a quarter of the forces of the Empire of the Hand.

— What is new for today? — she asked

— Let me see... — Eistern said, looking down his pad — Budget appropriations, roster rotations, equipment reserves... yadda, yadda, yadda... Oh, here's something interesting.

Hera looked at with both suspicion and expectancy:

— The canteen needs your approval for the special menu for our Troukree troops. — Eistern said, with mock enthusiasm.

Hera rolled her eyes, fighting the urge to bang her head against the wall:

— Why do you torture me like that? — The Twi'lek asked.

— The war is over and my side lost. — He replied — The little revenge I can extract is to annoy my Rebel Admiral.

She gave him a dirty glance, but he seemed unfazed:

— Before you give in to the urge to airlock me, I actually have something good — Eistern said — Central Command sent us charts to a number of systems. I believe our tour of duty is about to start.

— A tour of duty when I barely know the fleet under my command. — Hera said, looking at the Destroyers stationed around the _Phoenix._

From behind them, Commodore **Sil Sorannan** approached them:

— Familiarity will come with time, Admiral. — He said — And we are here to help you along the way.

Hera and Eistern turned to face the man:

— Good Morning, Fleet Admiral. — Sorannan greeted her.

— Good Morning, Commodore. — Hera said — I take you've heard about the star charts.

— Yes, I did. I also spoke with Admiral Pellaeon. — Sorannan said — Moff Vanto switched around ships. We lost all _Victory_ Destroyers, and got four Destroyers, an _Ascendancy_ , two _Chaf_ and a _Pelstat_.

He pointed out of the viewport the four dagger-shaped warships and the two bigger, needle-shaped warships.

— We are also getting three _Nuruodo_ and three _Syndulla_ Frigates. — Eistern said

When Hera found out the Imperials had named a whole class of warships after her, mirroring the frigates named after Thrawn's family, she didn't know whether to feel complimented or insulted. Specially after she found out the two designs could join to form a quasi-Star Destroyer by interlocking hangar bays. The only detail that soothed her temper was the fact that, once joined, the _Syndulla_ had control.

— We didn't get any of the Heavy _Syndic_ or _Phalanx_? — Hera asked

— Sloane got them all. — Sorannan said — It was the price to let go of all of her VSDs.

Hera stopped and counted in her head:

— How many _Victory_ Destroyers Pellaeon has? — She asked

— The _Crimson Command_ has currently forty four VSDs — The Commodore said — Admiral Pellaeon is a keen subscriber of the Grand Admiral's Doctrine.

— So, we have this Super Star Destroyer, one _Pelstat,_ one _Ascendancy_ ,two _Chaf_ , one _Interdictor_ , two _Venator_ , for a total of seven Star Destroyers, five _Carrack_ , four _Strike_ , one _Vindicator_ , two _Escort Carriers_ , four _Nuruodo,_ four _Syndulla,_ two _Acclamator_ and two _Warlord_ for a total of twenty four Cruisers, Frigates, Carriers and Assault Ships. — Syndulla listed from memory — Did I miss something?

Eistern pointed out to the other ships:

— The _Au'Riette_ Carrier, one _Decimator_ , two _Kariek_ Cruisers, a dozen _Lancer_ Frigates, and, you gonna like this... — Eistern said — four _CR90_ Corvettes and three _EF76 Nebulon-B_ Frigates, fresh of the New Republic, for a respectable total of fifty five ships.

The Commodore stood next to the Admiral:

— We've got plenty of firepower, mobility and versatility, even if we don't count the modifications to the _Phoenix_ — Sorannan said. — Moff Vanto believes this configuration fits perfectly your experience with the Alliance and also gives you familiarity with the running and strategy of a superclass dreadnought.

— And with a fifth of the crew a fleet of this magnitude would traditionally require, thanks to the technological wonder that are these Chiss automation systems. — Eistern added.

Hera stopped staring at the New Republic ships, and turned to Eistern:

— How the hell we got these Republican ships? — the Twi'lek finally asked

It was not the Commander, but the Commodore who spoke:

— If you really want to know, Admiral, it was Lieutenant Ayehe, Moff Vanto and Lord Bridger. — Sorannan said — As to how they accomplished that, I asked the Grand Admiral about it, he stared at me and said I would regret knowing, and I believed him.

Hera looked at the always serious Commodore, now even more curious than before, when from below, in the pit, Lieutenant **Dak'Huun'Nnrass** ,also known by his core name **Dakun** ,spoke:

— Admiral Syndulla, the Aristocra requests your presence planetside at your earliest convenience. — The young Chiss officer said

Hera looked down at the Lieutenant, to the silence appreciation of Sorannan, that really didn't want her pressing for more details:

— Please signal I'll be there shortly, Lieutenant Nnrass, thank you. — Syndulla said, and turning to her officers, she said — I guess I'm of to ask the Grand Admiral myself.

* * *

[Hand of Thrawn]

— This is an incredible ship. — **Sabine Wren** said, taking off her helmet.

She looked back at the _Clawcraft_ she had just piloted.

— Say what you will about the Chiss, they know how to build a starfighter — **Ezra Bridger** said, removing his helmet as well — The _Nssis-Class_ is as fast as a TIE Interceptor, much more maneuverable, better armed and armored, has shields and a hyperdrive.

— Oh, and that — Sabine said — To make use of beacons to navigate the sector. That has to be the craziest, most practical idea I ever heard.

— It is an elegant solution to the problem. — Ezra replied, as they walked — We have a network of beacons around the sectors under our guard, and we use _Beacon Ships_ to provide navigation calculations when we are out of the navigation nexus.

Ezra made a gesture for Sabine to go first in the transport, and then sat after her, nodding to the driver to proceed. Ever since they met again, and Thrawn's offer to Hera, Sabine and Ezra had been spending a lot of time getting reacquainted. Ezra was different, true, but it wasn't just his position in the Empire, or his appearance that had changed; his demeanor was cold, calculating, as if he was analyzing everything and everyone around him all the time. Just like Thrawn.

On the other hand, though, he had _changed_. He had sprouted and was now taller than Sabine by a good 20 centimeters. He had a goatee, like Kanan had, and his hair was short. The scar on his cheek was still visible, but he was not the skinny boy she met years ago; during combat training Sabine saw how ripped he was now, and most importantly, the collection of scars he had gained from his life in the Unknown Regions.

He was also smooth, more refined, determined. He didn't beat around the bush when they first spoke in private, and he answered her questions about his relationships after she had answered his questions. Her suspicions about Admiral Faro were confirmed, as well as Lieutenant Ayehe, and a few other women she had not yet met. And he didn't mince words about the fact we was going to court her. She would have tried to laugh it off in the past, but she had also changed, so she didn't reply.

The transport approached the turbolift, and he got out, immediately offering a hand to Sabine. She was not one to indulge in mannerisms, but she had a good morning, so she took his hand. The harder part was to keep her cool when he smiled like that.

The turbolift doors opened, and Sabine silently thanked the Force for **Chir'da Ayehe** was already inside. She was not paying attention to her surroundings, as she kept focused on her pad. Ezra entered the lift, and it was amazing for Sabine to see how silent he moved, getting behind the Twi'lek and leaned closer to her, without being noticed:

— Humm, quadanium prices went down. — He said, letting himself being noticed.

Chir'da jumped, startled, and her pad flew, but Ezra acted fast, picking up the gadget in one hand, while he prevented the Lieutenant from hurting herself against the bulkhead. Sabine stifled a laugh at the scene.

— Damn you, Ezra, do you want to give me a heart attack? — Chir'da complained

— Always mind your surroundings, Lieutenant. — Ezra said — You never know when a big bad Jedi will sneak behind you.

She elbowed him in response, and Sabine could not help but laugh. The lift started moving again and the Twi'lek grabbed her pad back, eying him ugly, then she looked at Sabine with a smile:

— Good morning, Sabine. — Chir'da said — Was him always this insufferable back in the day?

— Not all shadowy and darky like that... — Sabine started — But I guess you could say he was, in a more boyish, innocent way.

— Back them we were teenagers. — Ezra said looking at Sabine in a direct and penetrating way — Here and now, we are adults.

Despite her best efforts, Wren could not avoid feeling her face warm. And she was sure Chir'da saw that, for she changed the topic quickly:

— And speaking of adults — Chir'da said — Some willing negotiators in Terminus got their hands in phrik bars.

— Phrik? — Sabine said, surprised — that is very rare.

Ezra glanced at the Lieutenant with suspicion:

— How many bars are we talking about? — He asked.

— A hundred and twenty three ingots of 12.4 Kg each. — Ayehe replied.

The two former comrades exchanged glances of surprise:

— And expensive too. — Bridger said — How much are they asking? Six million credits?

— Seven million and a half credits, actually. — Chir'da informed.

Sabine whistled in surprise:

— You can buy half a dozen Corvettes for this price. — The Mandalorian said.

— That is a price I'm not willing to pay. — Bridger was quick to add — And you know that, Lieutenant, so, what deal have you concocted and how much trouble will it be?

Chir'da looked at the Executor and smirked. Sabine had a bad feeling about whatever it was the Twi'lek Imperial had in mind, and once Chir'da started explaining the plan, her fears were confirmed.

— You both are crazy. — Sabine said, walking out of the lift after they had arrived.

— It seems reasonable. — Ezra replied, leaving the lift after her.

— Is it reasonable to go into an inhospitable planet to harvest deadly light spiders, to exchange it for a handful of old freighters, use it to capture and transport humongous and also deadly, gelatinous beasts, to exchange for a couple of tons of very volatile, coaxium-like liquid, just to exchange it for yet another deadly beasts, to bring it to some intergalactic hunter company, to get in return the coordinates for the location of a rare type of one more deadly beast, so that you can finally collect its secretions, to bring it in exchange for the Phrik? — Sabine asked, aggravated.

Chir'da and Ezra exchanged glances, and said back:

— Yes. — They said.

Sabine looked at them, and threw her hands up in frustration, pacing around, before looking at them:

— And what the heck is with all this deadly fauna in the Unknown Regions? Is everything out here trying to kill us? — The Mandalorian asked

Again the Twi'lek and the Knight looked at each other:

— Yes, pretty much everything. — Ezra replied.

Chir'da looked at Sabine and approached her:

— So, are you in or are you out? — The Lieutenant asked.

Sabine looked at her, and then at Ezra, and her shoulders slouched in resignation:

— I can't let you both have all the fun. — The Mandalorian said — I'm in.

— Good. — Ayehe replied — And with our facilitator, we have a full crew.

Ezra turned to the Lieutenant and his expression was severe:

— You don't mean... — He started, being promptly interrupted by her

—Yes, I do. — Chir'da said, unapologetic — You know well as I do that there is no better slicer on this side of the barrier than him.

Sabine looked at Ezra and then Chir'da, a bad feeling creeping up on her gut.

* * *

[Regent's Office]

Hera arrived at the Hand of Thrawn to find Sabine and Ezra already in the Regent's Office. Ayehe, Sloane, Faro, Pellaeon and Vanto were also there. And Thrawn, and another Chiss, uniquely distinguishable by his blonde hair and near human blue eyes, undistinguishable from human eyes were not for the cobalt glow they emitted.

— Admiral, welcome — **Eli Vanto** said, approaching her and shaking her hand.

— Thank you, Grand Moff. —Syndulla replied.

— How did like new Fleet configuration? — Eli asked

— Looks versatile. — Hera said — But I was surprised to find the Blockade Runners and the Nebulon-B in the manifest. Now, Commodore Sorannan said he was told he would not like to know how they came into the Empire's possession, but I'm curious.

The officers exchanged glances, and **Rae Sloane** said:

— You are in luck then, Syndulla — The Grand Admiral said — All the culprits for this stunt are here.

Hera looked around, and Ezra seemed aggravated, even more so when the blonde Chiss spoke:

— We stole them from the New Republic, along with a few hundred tons of quadanium, doonium, crodium, and another useful resources. — He said, and added — Syndic Bridger was most helpful in this endeavor.

— You left me no other choice! — Erza replied, angry, pointing a finger at the Chiss — You let the hyperfuel destabilize on purpose to keep me distracted.

 **Karyn Faro** rolled her eyes and got comfortable in her chair:

— Here we go again... — She said.

The Chiss seemed unaffected by Ezra's accusation:

— You refused to let me shoot at the Mon Calamari destroyer. They didn't return the favor. — The Chiss replied, calmly — That's what destabilized the Coaxium, Executor.

— Because we were stealing from them! — Bridger replied, still aggravated.

— As it was the original intent of the plan. — The Chiss replied, nonchalantly.

— The cargo only, not half of their fleet. — Chir'da defended Ezra promptly — It was never our objective to cripple a Republic fleet. It was a miracle that no one died.

The blonde Chiss was irritatingly calm, just like Thrawn, and he walked one step forward to face the Twi'lek:

— My intention was to prevent the unnecessary loss of life, Senior Lieutenant — The Chiss said — And we achieved that by crippling the fleet before they could recklessly venture into our side of the Galaxy, meet and provoke one of our menaces, bringing an unprepared galaxy in shambles to the attention of formidable foes.

He gesture at Ezra, Vanto and Hera:

— So you got your Coaxium, the Empire of the Hand got its metals, the Black Fleet got some new ships and the Ascendancy kept the balance of power in the region free of new interferences. — The Chiss said — And the rest of the Galaxy continues blissfully ignorant of the dangers we protect them from.

Once a stalemate seemed to be reached, with Ezra dispensing a dirty glance and the Chiss remaining unaffected, Hera spoke:

— I'm sorry, who are you again? — Syndulla asked.

The Chiss turned to her, and approaching the Twi'lek, he bowed dandily:

— I am **Mahgg'nuussvyyk Thurzz'bheerg** , Syndic of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force. You can call me by my Core name, Magnus — He introduced himself, and then looked into her eyes — **Darth Magnus**.

Hera's blood froze in her veins and she asked on reflex:

— Darth? — She repeated — You are a..?

He interrupted her, rising up again:

— A Sith? Yes, I am a Dark Lord of the Sith, Admiral Syndulla. — Magnus confirmed and answered the very next question on her mind — Am I interested in galactic conquest? No. I am not.

 **Thrawn** got up from his chair and approached Hera:

— Darth Magnus ended the internal hostilities of the Ascendancy and has unified my people once again. — Thrawn said — He was instrumental in stopping the Grysk from corrupting the Chiss and has helped us establish the Empire of the Hand.

— I can attest to that, since I was here helping him keep the unity of the Ascendancy government. — Eli said.

Ezra looked at her and begrudgingly said:

— He is a weird Sith, but is trustable. — Ezra said.

— As if you were one to talk about non-conformity of standards, Paragon of the Jedi. — Magnus replied, sarcastically.

Thrawn spoke a alien language in a very collected voice that recognized as being the Chiss native language, but she could not understand it yet. Ezra and Magnus, however, clearly did. They both bowed and the Sith stepped aside, letting the Grand Admiral pass:

— I comprehend that your experience with the Sith, through Lord Vader, was really bad, but here, on this side of the barrier, the Sith developed differently. — The Grand Admiral said.

Hera looked at the Grand Admiral not very convinced, so the Sith himself interjected without meddling words:

— What the Aristocra is trying to say, in a very polite way, is that I'm not a raging megalomaniac psychopath willing to commit the most heinous acts in the pursuit of power and control, like the late Emperor and his apprentice. — Magnus said

Hera looked from the Grand Admiral to the Sith:

— If you don't want control, what is it that you want? — She asked.

His cobalt eyes met hers and a dark smile crept on his face, a smile that rubbed Hera all the ways wrong:

— Knowledge. — He replied

* * *

[Hand of Thrawn - Jarrus Gardens]

Hera walked out of the the meeting shortly after the revelation that had left her deeply disturbed. The knowledge the Sith Lord Darth Magnus sought was through holocrons. which housed imprints of other individuals. And he collected many of them, in particular, of Vader, the late Emperor, and Kanan. Hera didn't know what to say or how she should feel about that, but she stormed out before she did something regrettable.

For all his faults, Thrawn had been honest with her, and he reacted with surprise at the revelation by his fellow Chiss. It was Erza's knowledge and consent of the whole thing that distressed Hera the most. Kanan had been his mentor, and he allowed Magnus to keep a holocron with his essence. She wasn't sure if she knew him anymore. Sometimes he looked the same Ezra of old, and other times, he behaved and acted like someone else entirely.

The Twi'lek ended up finding solace in the garden that now housed Kanan's statue, and which was named after him. Sabine's art pieces and Ezra's also permeated the garden, and made for training grounds for Jacen. It was Thrawn's initiative, and one she appreciated, yet another aspect of her former foe.

She found herself in front of Kanan's statue, illuminated almost in a eerie way by the fixtures in the geodesic ceiling. She thought of him everyday, but seldom with the intensity and pain she was feeling right now. She looked up with sadness to the statue, doubts creeping up in her thoughts.

— Admiral Syndulla. — Thrawn's voice came from behind her.

Hera turned, slightly startled:

— My apologies. — He said —I didn't mean to startle you.

— That's okay. — Hera replied. — I'm sorry I stormed out of your meeting.

Thrawn approached her, standing by her side:

— Think nothing of it. — The Chiss said.

He looked up to the statue:

— When Magnus spoke of collecting knowledge from the Late Emperor and Lord Vader, I thought he had meant conventional means of information. — Thrawn said — After all these years, the Force is the one element I still struggle to grasp.

— Even with all the strange things I witnessed and heard from Ezra, there was nothing like this. — Hera said, softly — It's like Kanan's spirit got captured by him.

Thrawn turned to face her:

— If that is the case, I won't allow Darth Magnus to keep him. — The Grand Admiral said, with determination. — You have my word, Admiral Syndulla.

— Thank you, Admiral. — Hera looked at him, a little measure of comfort in her sadness.

She felt the glistening on her eyes, and averted his eyes, hating herself for showing vulnerability in front of him, of all sentients. It was with surprise that she felt his hand cupping her cheek with care and making her face him. Her green eyes met his red eyes and his somber expression matched her sadness. She felt his finger gently wipe away the tear rolling down her cheek.

— Of all my sins, having made you suffer is by far the one I regret most deeply — He said, in a low voice — My actions brought you and those you love more pain than I will ever be able to atone for.

— Thrawn... — She said, surprised by his confession.

— Please, let me finish — He spoke, receiving her silent permission in response — I was reluctant to bring you into this war, after all the fighting you had in your life already; I had already caused you much distress and didn't wish to be the harbinger of even more pain to your life.

Barely registering that he still had his hand in her cheek, she said:

— No, you did right — She was quick to protest — I am fighting to keep the galaxy safe, and the enemies here are a threat to everyone.

— You came here, stayed because of my offer, and now you are hurting again, because of it — the Chiss said.

— You kept Ezra alive all these years and kept millions of other lives safe from threats here, and I am glad to you for that. — the Twi'lek replied — As for my grief, it was Darth Magnus that violated the memory of Kanan, not you. You went out of your way to make us feel welcome here, even constructing these training grounds for my son.

She finally noticed the warmth of his touch and he retracted his hand slowly:

— Despite our turbulent past, I always respected you, as a sentient, a warrior and as a leader, Admiral Syndulla. — Thrawn said — That respect only grew over time from the memories of you Ezra shared with me. It is my honor to be here, in you company.

— Call me Hera, Thrawn — Hera said, holding his fledgling hand — I didn't have a chance to tell you before, but you treated Ezra as an equal, you took care of him all these years, and gave him a home, a family, in you, Faro, Chir'da and the others. For that I can never thank you enough.

He put his other hand over her hand which held his:

— And you will never have to... Hera. — Thrawn said — Ezra imprinted in me and in this Empire the feeling of belonging and camaraderie akin to a family, to replace the family my actions forced him to leave behind. I merely followed his lead and learned from him, as he did from you.

Syndulla once was drawn to those pair of glowing red eyes, and could not look away:

— We have a lot of bad blood, Thrawn, but I want you to know — She started, and quivered at the thought of what she was going to say next — I don't see you as an enemy. I can't, not anymore.

The Chiss looked at her with raised eyebrows and a expression of surprise for a moment, and understanding the next:

— You are most gracious, Hera. — He said — And I will strive to honor your trust.

He bowed, bringing her cupped hand up, and kissed it, before rising up again. And once more, she registered his touch, holding her hand. Her sadness was mostly gone, replaced by a feeling of peace, and the warmth of the Chiss' touch.

When he looked up, she followed him with her eyes, not even registering how close they were to each other, until she did, but nor him, nor she moved an inch to further that proximity. On the contrary, she felt herself gravitating towards him, and his hands, which until then held her hand, moved to her arms.

She could feel the goose bumps in her lekku, as his breath was close enough to her skin. She rested her hands on his chest, and her eyes ran from his glance to his lips and back. She wasn't thinking, she was just feeling. It was not rational, it was instinct.

Hera raised her head, tilting slightly to the side, and she found Thrawn moving to meet her. Her hands clinged to his uniform, pulling her body closer as his hands on her arms moved, one to her back and another to cup her face. Her eyes were closed when she felt the contact on his lips on hers, right before a voice brought them both crashing down to reality

— Mom, hey mom? — **Jacen Syndulla** spoke from behind the bush.

Red eyes and Green Eyes widened and they both got one step back before her son walked right before them. Jacen stopped on his tracks, finding both adults, with a badly concealed nervousness shared between them:

— Huh, mom? Mister Thrawn? — Jacen looked confused.

— Y-yes, Jacen? — Hera spoke, trying her best to sound normal, even if she was the furthest thing from that right now.

— Is everything okay? — Jacen asked, suspicious.

Hera opened herself mouth, but she didn't say anything immediately, and was the Chiss who spoke:

— Your mother was distressed from news she received earlier, young Jacen. — Thrawn said, with a lack of emotion that Hera really envied right now. — I came after her to make sure she was well.

— Yeah, about dad, I know — Jacen said —Master Tano heard from Sabine and now she's going after that Blonde Chiss Guy.

Hera looked at Thrawn, and he was all business now, so she emulated him:

— We have to stop her. —She said.

— I know where Magnus is. — He replied — Follow me.

They both moved quickly and hurriedly, and the urgency of the matter distracted Hera enough to keep what had just transpired between them from occupying her every thought and possibly drive her mad in the process.

She had just kissed Thrawn! Thrawn! Of all the sentients in the universe, she had just shared a moment and kissed kriffing Thrawn! She didn't have to worry about becoming mad, she probably already was crazy, for having done what she did. By the Force, how much further she would have taken had Jacen not appeared?

Hera wished she couldn't multi-task her thoughts so well right now...

Back in the garden, Jacen looked around, feeling the movements of the Force. Something had transpired in that place. Something powerful. Something with Mister Thrawn and his Mom. Then, the trace in residual waves felt familiar to him, even though he had never felt that before. But he instinctively knew what it was, who it was. He looked up to the statue:

— Dad? — Jacen asked.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER


	4. Four: The Blackguard

**Author Notes:**

Greetings, everyone, and thank you for the reviews.

 **Spectre6** : This is a matter of style. I found this one to be mine... quirks of a writer.

 **Just a Crazy-Man** : Nice to see you around here.

 **V** : I completely messed up on this. I mixed dates, and kept thinking of the Expanded Universe... mea culpa.

* * *

STAR WARS

ALLIANCES OF DESTINY

* * *

 **Summary:** Two years after the Battle of Jakku, the crew of the Ghost have a solid lead to the whereabouts of Ezra Bridger, a path that leads them into the Unknown Regions of the Galaxy.

 **Timeline:** Alternate Canon post-Empire's End

* * *

Empire of the Hand:

Grand Admiral Thrawn (Aristocra Regent)

Executor Ezra Bridger (Syndic Commander)

Grand Moff Eli Vanto (Syndic Administrator)

Grand Admiral Rae Sloane

Baron Soontir Fel

Fleet Admiral Karyn Faro

Fleet Admiral Gilad Pellaeon

Admiral Ly Rissa Straussberg

Commodore Sil Sorannan

Commander Eistern

Senior Lieutenant Chir'da Ayehe

Lieutenant Dak'Huun'Nnrass/Dakun

Chiss Ascendancy:

Mahgg'nuussvyyk Thurzz'bheerg/Darth Magnus (Syndic)

Admiral Ar'alani

Wilder Syall Tann

Wilder Cerris'Tai

* * *

CHAPTER FOUR

THE BLACKGUARD

* * *

[Nirauan, Hand of Thrawn]

As they crossed the long halls between the towers, Grand Admiral **Thrawn** replayed in his head the moment that had just transpired in the gardens, between him and the Twi'lek Admiral which was following him.

The Chiss didn't know where those feelings, which suddenly emerged with such intensity, came from. He rationalized that the admiration he had for his former Rebel foe somehow developed into an infatuation in his subconscious.

No, not an infatuation.

 **Mitth'raw'nuruodo** was a sentient of logic and principles. He was far from being a adolescent of ephemeral passions. There was a genuine sentiment behind his actions, even if he had not been aware of it before.

He considered the accounts of Hera shared by Ezra over the years, and how he may have unintentionally formed an idealized persona of her, and once the real sentient arrived, he didn't distinguish between fantasy and reality.

Also not possible.

The Chiss warrior had in his mind his most powerful weapon, and it was beneath him to indulge in juvenile fantasies. Hera Syndulla was who she was and his affection for her was grounded in reality.

He may have failed to see his admiration and respect change into something more intense, but that was as much as he was willing to admit.

Still, that didn't explain his behavior, nor explained hers.

She kissed him, as much as he kissed her. There was something amiss, something missing in that equation, something that would made that situation logical.

Nevertheless, it was an undeniable fact his affection for the beautiful Twi'lek, and despite of how it came to be, or why it emerged so strongly and quickly, he now didn't have the ignorance of his own feelings for her.

As they entered the turbolift, he input the commands on the console, and the transport started moving.

 **Hera Syndulla** was equally conflicted with the whole situation, and she was struggling with her own actions and sentiments. She was hoping they didn't have time to talk, but their trip towards Magnus and the impending disaster they were trying to avoid gave them just that.

— Hera. — He spoke her name, turning to face her.

Her eyes were already on him, and her conflict of emotions was visible:

— The kiss we shared in the garden... — Thrawn started, not mincing words.

— I don't know, Thrawn — Hera interrupted him. — I don't understand why we kissed, it must have been the moment, the atmosphere, the situation, I don't know.

She waved her arms with frustration as she spoke, but he remained calm:

— Neither do I. — The Chiss said — Even if made me aware of my feelings for you, I don't understand how it came to be. It was not my intention to court you when I went to the garden. My concern was genuine.

— I know. You have been nothing but honest with me, even as... — She replied, and immediately stopped on her tracks, to the very important piece of information she had received — Wait, you have feelings for me?

— Yes, I do. — He confirmed —The way I came to realize that was rather unexpected, but doesn't change the fact that they are real.

Hera looked at the Grand Admiral with surprise:

— I... Don't know what to say — the Twi'lek said.

— You don't have to say anything. — Thrawn replied — I just want to keep being honest with you, and make you aware of what I just realized myself.

She nodded in silence, and looked pensive as the lift changed tubes.

— The kiss. Do you regret it? — He asked.

She looked straight at him, in silence for a moment, then she spoke with determination:

— No. No, I don't. — Hera said — I might not understand how it happened, and I don't know yet know what is that I feel for you. But I don't regret kissing you, and I don't regret the moment we had.

She approached him, placing a hand over the white jacket of his uniform, letting her fingers run over the fabric:

— You changed, Thrawn. — She said, not looking directly at him — You changed in ways that surprised me, in ways I didn't expect. And your Empire is a reflection of that change. I would not have accepted this position if I didn't truly believed in what you and Ezra are doing here.

He put his hand over hers:

— I am honored that you believe in what we built here. — The Chiss replied — But here and now, in the absence of remorse, there is something I must do.

She looked at him with curiosity:

— And what is it that you need to do? — Hera asked.

— Kiss you properly, without interruptions. — He said.

She looked surprised but didn't resist, as his hand embraced her waist, bringing her slender body next to him, and she received him with parted lips, and full conscience of her acts. Her arms went around his neck as they proceeded, without interruptions, to perform a proper kiss as the lift kept moving up.

* * *

[ Hand of Thrawn, Ascendancy Levels, Workshop]

As the major ally of the Empire of the Hand, the Chiss Ascendancy had its own facilities in one of the towers of the fortress. And **Darth Magnus** made use of the installations whenever he was away from Scilla, which was often these days.

 **Ezra Bridger** ,Executor of the Empire and resident Jedi Knight, remained busy while the Sith worked on the computer terminal. Differently from the other side of the barrier, where the Holonet was the standard of faster than light communications, in the unknown region there wasn't an established standard.

The Empire of the Hand used their own Holonet, based off the Chiss Hyperdata Network and built as they grew, but other governments were reluctant to join in. So, they used the Chiss Data Conversion Protocol, which allowed for them to compile, understand and catalog the information they came across from another Hyperdata. That allowed the Empire to access information beyond their own network, just like the Ascendancy did.

 **Sabine Wren** and **Chir'da Ayehe** were also there, the Twi'lek giving the Chiss assistance in mine through the databases, and the Mandalorian was helping the Jedi organize his gear.

— This is a nice armor you have. — Sabine said, examining a piece of his armor while he polished his arm-guards.

— It better be. — Ezra replied — I used all the Phrik we had in reserve to make it.

She looked at him with surprise:

— So, what is that you are going to do with the Phrik you from your exchange? — She asked.

— I'm not sure yet, but I'm pretty sure R&D will have plans for it. — He said — And I'm sure Magnus already has plans for his share of the Phrik.

The Mandalorian looked over her shoulder to the Tech-head Sith talking data with the Resident Smuggler.

— A slicer Sith... — Sabine comment — Everyday you see something new.

Ezra raised an eyebrow at her with an amused expression, but the next moment he looked serious and turned to the blast door. At the same time, Darth Magnus stopped his work and turned his head in the same direction.

— What is it? — Chir'da asked.

— Trouble. — Magnus said, rising from his chair — Wrap it up.

The Twi'lek and the Mandalorian exchanged glances as Magnus and Ezra moved to the center of the room, or at least Magnus did, as he held a hand to the Lothalian, making him stop and take a step back:

— I believe this is for me. — The Chiss said.

Ezra didn't say anything, nodding and in turn looking at Chir'da, who had just logged out of her terminal. He extended his hand to her:

— Come this way, quickly. — He said.

The Lieutenant knew better than question the Executor, as she was used to be around him, and did as she was told. Ezra marched behind her and next to Sabine, and placed himself in front of both women.

At that moment the blast doors csne to life, opening in their diagonal pattern, revealing **Ahsoka Tano** on the other side. She had an expression of anger and determination in her, and her two lightsabers were on her hands.

— Ahsoka? — Sabine said, in surprise.

The Mandalorian started to walk towards her, but Ezra held her with an arm blocking her path. He turned to her at the same time she looked at him:

— This is between Ahsoka and Magnus. — He said.

Ahsoka didn't say anything, letting her intentions know by the green blades of light that came to life from her lightsabers.

* * *

[Hand of Thrawn, Ascendancy Levels]

— You're late. — **Soontir Fel** stated.

— My apologies, Baron. — **Cerris'Tai** said

They both started to walk and the Ace Pilot said:

— It is beyond me how a _Seer_ can always be late. — Fel commented.

— You are mistaken, Baron. — Cerris replied — A _Seer_ is never late. So perhaps, it is you that were early.

Soontir rose an eyebrow, not buying the malarkey from the Force-Sensitive Echani, but he had to admire her capacity to keep a straight face while saying it.

— How is the new class of pilots? — Cerris asked.

— Admirably efficient. — the Baron said. — Admiral Thrawn will be satisfied with them.

— I am sure that having another Fel in the command of a starfighter will make the Grand Admiral very satisfied. — The Echani said.

Soontir smiled, thinking of his elder son, Davin, and barely registered when he was yanked abruptly by Cerris, that used the Force to jump them both a second before the mirrored glass they were passing exploded, victim of the desk that was thrown out of the room so violently that shattered the tempered glass, bouncing of the floor and out of the corridor, falling out of the tower.

— What the kriff?! — Soontir exclaimed.

* * *

[ Hand of Thrawn, Lower Halls]

— I still think you should have taken that Super Star Destroyer, Gilad. — **Rae Sloane** said, as they walked — Instead, Thrawn gave it to the Sith.

— The idea of the _Crimson Command_ is to be fast and dynamic — **Gilad Pellaeon** replied — We go, strike with precision and clear the way for a more permanent presence.

— Besides, the _Pentastar Command_ is still part of the Empire — **Karyn Faro** said — Admiral Saphir is in command of the fleet.

— She wears the jodhpurs, but her Allegiance is to the Sith. — Sloane replied — Good thing we have you, Sil, with the Reb...

The loud sound of a desk exploding in a million pieces against the floor in the middle of the hall, just a few meters away from the officers, startled the Grand Admiral:

— What the blazes?! — Gilad exclaimed.

— Where did that come from? — **Sil Sorannan** asked

Karyn looked up, and saw the flashes of light coming from the tower:

— Over there! — Faro said.

Sloane looked up, and immediately recognized the level, her expression of surprise turned sour:

— Magnus... — She muttered.

* * *

[Workshop]

Ezra was not surprised to see the Echani Companion of the Sith on the other side of the broken glass. But he didn't have time to make any remarks, for the hoverbike that was flying in their direction had to be stopped. With his extended hand, he stopped the vehicle in the air and landed it on the floor, next to all the other stuff Ahsoka was throwing at Magnus.

— This is getting out of hand, Ezra — Sabine complained, behind him — Aren't you going to do something?

— He can't. — Chir'da said

— What do you mean "He can't"? — The Mandalorian asked.

They both dodged as tools flew against the wall too close for comfort, and the Jedi protecting them kept his concentration:

— Ezra and Magnus stipulated in their alliance that one cannot interfere in the other's fight without consent. — The Twi'lek explained.

— This is nuts! — Wren said — Why would Ezra agree to this?

— Because, Sabine Wren, that was Lord Magnus request, and Lord Bridger agreed to it — Cerris'Tai said, approaching the group — Hello, Chir'da.

Sabine saw the silver-haired woman of exotic ruby eyes and striking beauty approach them. She also raised her hand, placating some of the whirlwind of debris flying around the two combatants:

— Nice to see you, Tai. — the Lieutenant said — Any input in why your master is fighting the Jedi so recklessly?

— I follow Darth Magnus, but he's not my master. — The Echani said, and added — And he is not fighting Ahsoka Tano. He's making her fight herself.

Chir'da and Sabine looked surprised at Cerris'Tai, an then at the Togrutan Jedi Master. Ezra kept quiet, finally understanding what the Sith was doing.

In the eye of the storm, Ahsoka Tano jumped at her enemy once again, kicking him square in the chest and trying to follow that with another kick to his face. She was successful in the first, but the second was stopped by Magnus. The Sith grabbed her leg and pulled her in, grabbing her waist with the other hand and sending her flying against the floor. The Togrutan slid on the floor and immediately put her hands on the floor and jumped acrobatically, landing on her feet.

— Is that the best you can do, Jedi? — Magnus taunted — No wonder you were all wiped out so easily.

Ahsoka growled and sent another shockwave his direction, making parts of the ceiling and floor to fly as well. He resisted, but not without being dragged back by the force of her attack. Her lightsabers were useless against the Cortosis of his suit, and they were not even in her possession anymore, so she had to resort to close combat and the Force.

— I will destroy you! — She yelled, propelling herself forward and slamming her body against the Chiss.

Her plan worked, and she knocked him on the floor. The two rolled down the floor, and Ahsoka landed on top of him:

— So, you like to be on top, huh? — Magnus asked.

Her response was to yell and punch him repeatedly, his arms deflecting most of the blows until he was able to grab one of her hands and bring her down. His other hand held her from rising up and pounding him more.

— Hummm... You smell nice — The Chiss said, with a shameless smile on his face.

— Get bent! — She barked back.

— You first. — He said.

Lifting his leg, he used his body to o move up and roll on top of her slender body, but Ahsoka was as skilled fighter, and she felt his intentions, so she wrapped her legs around his waist and locked her feet, securing her guard as he got on his knees.

— Well now... — Magnus said with a smirk— You look good on you back too.

— I gonna wipe that smile off your face! — She said, grabbing him by his tunic, and extending her body, she tried to strangle him, in a pure pit fighter move.

To her surprise, he grabbed her by the waist and got up, just to drop on the floor, with her back hitting first, knocking the wind out of her and making her wince in pain. He used the opportunity to get free of her and sent her up with Force Push. Ahsoka rolled in the air, and placed one hand on the floor before landing on her feet.

Her eyes went wide and she had a splint second to deflect a cabinet that was sent against her. She didn't even noticed the lift door opening behind her.

Thrawn stepped out of the lift to find a piece of furniture swirling fast in the air against him, right before Hera jumped, grabbing him and making them both roll on the floor, with the Chiss holding the Twi'lek by her waist right before she rolled too much and fell off the tower.

Hera gasped as she saw the drop she almost fell from, and gladly rolled over Thrawn and to safety. She panted from the adrenaline, and he moved one of the hands from her back to her face:

— Are you alright? — He asked with concern.

— Yes, thank you. — She said, still out of breath — Good reflexes.

A voice besides them made both Thrawn and Hera self-conscious of their predicament:

— Is that really the time for fraternization, Grand Admiral? — Rae Sloane asked, with a smirk in her face, looking at the Chiss and the Twi'lek in that compromising position.

Syndulla immediately got up, and offered a hand to the Chiss, helping him up on his feet:

— Frankly, Thrawn, couldn't you find a more appropriate time to cuddle with your rebel paramour? — The Grand Admiral asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm — Bridger must be rubbing off on you... To do that while two individuals of mass destruction are tearing the place apart.

Hera thought of a retort, but Thrawn looked unfazed by her snarky remarks:

— If you are done with your jest, you can assist me in stopping them both. — The Chiss said.

— I can shoot them both. — Sloane said, dryly — That ought to stop them.

Ezra looked at the bunch of high officers in the room and said:

— Do not interfere. — Bridger said. — This is between Ahsoka and Magnus.

— The hell it is. — Pellaeon replied — They gonna tear the tower apart.

— Everything is under control — Ezra insisted.

A piece of the wall flew against the officers, being stopped by the Executor, using the Force:

— Does _that_ look like a situation under control, Ezra? — Hera asked, aggravated.

Ezra shrugged, and kept concentrating. Thrawn didn't make a move, so Syndulla asked him:

— Are we going to do something, Thrawn? — The Twi'lek asked.

— The alliance between Ezra and Magnus has clauses of non-interference. — The Regent explained. — I was trying to avoid the start of the conflict.

Hera looked at him surprised:

— So we do nothing then? — Syndulla asked, indignant.

— I didn't negotiate a treaty without mechanisms to curb abuse. — Thrawn replied — When certain conditions are met, I can and will stop this.

Hera saw in his eyes that he was not happy with the situation either, and decided that if there was a moment to have faith in Thrawn's abilities, that was it.

— I knew, sooner or later, this was going to happen. — Karyn said — I thought it would be between the Sith and Lord Bridger, but I guess I was wrong.

From the opposite side of the room, the doors opened, revealing Soontir Fel, followed by two Chiss females and a human woman:

— This is getting out of control! — Fel said.

— You'd think? — Admiral **Ly Rissa Straussberg** replied, sarcastically.

— We must contain the situation. — Admiral **Ar'alani** said.

The second Chiss moved ahead of the trio and raised her hands. On the other side, Erza Bridger and Cerris'Tai felt the Force manipulation by **Syall Tann** and joined her in manipulating a field that calmed the whirlwind inside the workshop.

Once the myriad of objects flying around stopped, it was easier to see the Sith and the Jedi fighting in the middle, and their voices could be heard:

— Do the Jedi mean so little to you? — Magnus asked, blocking a punch — That you fight so poorly to free them?

Ahsoka didn't reply, trying to hit him from different directions:

— Is it because they betrayed you? Made you guilty until proven the contrary? — The Sith asked, dodging a kick.

— Shut up! — The Jedi replied

She connected a jab in his face, and he stumble behind, receiving a kick that made him fall over a damaged armoire on the floor.

Ahsoka jumped over the armoire, only to find Magnus with a wrist launcher pointed at her. Before she could react, her body was wrapped in a line. She struggled, trying to get free, to no avail.

Magnus rose from the floor, discarding the launcher and approached the Togrutan. He whistled:

— Phew. And here I thought you would at least be a challenge, given the fact that have your Master as well — the Sith said, holding her by the chin

— I will kill you! — She yelled.

— No. You will serve me... — The Chiss said — You're no Twi'lek, but I think I can make do with a Togrutan concubine, my dear.

Hera and Sabine decided to interfere right there, but Ezra and Thrawn stopped both females, right before Ahsoka roared in rage and in a explosion of Force, she shattered the line that held her, and attacked her enemy with blind rage.

Magnus fell to the ground with a loud thud, and the Jedi Master jumped on top of him, dispensing an onslaught of punches, to which he couldn't offer defense.

Every punch was accompanied by a guttural scream, as the blood of her enemy splattered her face. She lost track of time in he rage, and her ears only heard the ringing of her own instinct, until a repeating voice started to clear..

— Ahsoka, stop! — Hera pleaded again. — Please, stop!

The Jedi Master looked up, out of breath and exhausted, and she saw her own reflection on the metal column, and what she saw terrified her.

— No... — Ahsoka murmured in horror

She saw the mask of rage and the sick, yellow eyes in her own reflection, the same eyes she had seen in Vader behind his broken helmet.

— No, no, no, no... — She repeated in panic, as she dismounted her adversary and crawled away from the column.

To everyone's but Syall, Ezra and Cerris' surprise, Magnus got up, not looking at all he had been beaten to a pulp as everyone had seen. He grabbed Ahsoka by her arm, pulling her from the ground and making her face him.

The fear on her friend's eyes made Hera plead with Thrawn:

— Please, stop this. — She asked, fearful for her friend.

The Grand Admiral looked her in the eye, and nodded briefly:

— Bridger. — He said, with authority.

No words needed to be exchanged, as Ezra lifted the field he had created with the two Companions of the Sith.

— You must not interfere! — Cerris'Tai said, making a motion to stop him

Sabine immediately drew her blaster, pressing against the forehead of the Echani:

— Move it, and I'll open a hyperlane in your head. — The Mandalorian said, darkly.

Thrawn marched towards the Sith and the Jedi, unaware of his intentions, and as he approached he saw him pull her closer and kiss the very frightened Togrutan.

And then everything was white.

No one, or almost no one understood what happened, as a flash of light and a kinetic wave filled the room. Most felt the motion, but the Chiss Grand Admiral was thrown back, given his proximity, flying several meters behind.

— THRAWN! — Hera shouted.

— Grand Admiral! — Karyn exclaimed.

— Damn it — Ezra said, grimacing.

Hera, Karyn, followed by Chir'da and Rae ran to where the Chiss landed. Behind them, Sorannan and Pellaeon also moved, but not as fast. Syndulla slid on her knees on the floor to stop right next to fallen Regent, followed by Faro, who knelt behind the head of the Grand Admiral, and Ayehe knelt on the opposite side from Hera. Sloane didn't kneel, but she stood at his feet with Sil and Gilad right behind her.

— Thrawn! — Hera called him, cupping his face with one hand — Can you hear me?

Karyn moved him slightly with the help of Chir'da , making his head rest in her lap:

— Grand Admiral, can you hear us? — Faro asked

— How's his pulse? — Sloane asked.

— He has one. — Chir'da said, feeling his neck — He's breathing too.

The Chiss moved slightly, and his eyes opened slowly:

— Good, he's conscious — Karyn said , with relief.

— Grand Admiral, can you hear me? — Chir'da asked — Are you able to comprehend us?

Thrawn looked around with barely opened eyes, and a smile crept up in his face:

— So that what heaven looks like — He said, with a raspy voice — Surrounded by angels...

Hera sighed in relief, a sentiment shared by everyone around the Chiss, and Sloane crossed her arms:

— Syndulla is not enough? Now you're fraternizing with Faro and Ayehe? — Sloane asked — Bridger really imprinted his "friendliness" in you.

— You're an angel too, Rae. — Thrawn replied — A very grouchy one.

— Hah! You must have hit your head very hard, to be calling me and angel — Rae said.

— Finding out I'm alive makes everything better, even you. — The Chiss said. — but just a little.

Rae shook her head in amusement and uncrossed her arms, offering a hand to him. He grabbed the hand, and with the help of the two Admirals and the Lieutenant, Thrawn got up, with Hera on one side and Karyn on the other, assisting him in keeping his balance.

Sabine looked over her shoulder to see the scene, and before she could react, her blaster was taken from her hands, and she turned to see the muzzle of her gun pointed at her head:

— You should never point guns at people faster than you — Cerris said and making a blaster fire sound, added — You're dead.

Sabine eyes widened, but her heart calmed as Ezra intervened:

— Don't let Cerris'Tai frighten you. — He said, approaching and looking at the silver-haired woman — She's keenly aware that her Echani combat skills will mean nothing if she hurts those I love.

The glance Ezra dispensed Cerris was dark and intimidating in a way Sabine never thought he could be. His presence was overwhelming, authoritarian and frightening. He didn't raise his voice, but each word was dripping with threats of violence.

That was Lord Bridger, the Executor, and she was seeing him for the first time. And it was frightening, and enticing. Sabine Wren had a dark side, but she never thought she would find desirable the dark side of others, specially Erza's.

And also didn't become lost on her his choice of words: "Those I love". Nothing Ezra did or spoke without purpose. As he matured, he stopped saying things he didn't mean, and certainly he didn't say them now, under Thrawn's influence.

Cerris flipped the blaster skillfully, offering it to Sabine by the handle:

— Of course, Lord Bridger — The Echani said, bowing respectfully.

He was approached by Thrawn and the entourage that followed the Regent:

— What now? — The Chiss asked.

— Is not over yet. — The Jedi said — Now, we wait.

At the epicenter of the crisis, Ahsoka Tano was still dizzy, as a result of the explosion of memories, knowledge and experiences that assaulted her mind. Caring hands kept her from falling, and she held the tunic of her enemy as her mind kept processing what she was given.

— Breath. — Darth Magnus said.

Ahsoka inhaled and exhaled, then she looked up to those blue, fluorescent eyes, and didn't find none of the malice, none of the disdain, none of the accusations. She only found serenity in him, and memories of their fight in his point of view showed her his ruse; he knew how she would react. He spoke every word carefully. He played everyone's emotions like a symphony. He provoked her, pressing all her buttons, to extract from her the exact result he wanted.

She should be furious at him, she should strike him down for what she made her feel, for making her lose control, embark in a fit of rage that channeled the Dark Side through her. She should, but she wasn't. She understood, what he did, why he did. And she agreed, it needed to be done. What was at stake was too important not to have safeguards.

All of that, however, disappeared as the voices came as a ringing in her ears, and the losses, the violence, the deaths, the pain, all came crashing down on her. She closed her eyes, muffled her ears with her hands, tried to shut it all out, but it was too much to bear. In the middle of it all, his voice was there:

— Ahsoka Tano, look at me. — He said, in a even voice.

She opened her eyes again, glistened from the agony she was experiencing:

— The screams, I can hear them all. — the Togrutan said — Force, they are so many, so many...

— Too many to count in a lifetime — The Sith replied.

— The pain! — She cried — So much hurt!

He grabbed her hands, bringing them together with his, between them:

— Take the pain. Own it. — He told her — Hold it with all your forces, until it burns your soul.

She looked at him, and through the Force she felt him inside her, a part of his essence imprinted in her, and she found herself into him, a part of her, in him:

— You take a stand. — He ordered — From now until eternity, you take a stand.

She felt the determination and focus through him, and she dipped upon him, focusing herself, regaining control. The voices became fainter and lower, like whispers. The memories felt like holovideos, texts she had read, not like reality itself. She was herself again.

The Chiss led the Togrutan to one of the few chairs still in one piece. He helped her sit, and then knelt in front of her. He undid the straps on his tunic, letting his chest uncovered. With his hand stretched out, he summoned his lightsaber which flew from the floor into his hand.

— Here, take it. — He said

Ahsoka grabbed the hilt with her two hands, as he guided the emitter to his chest:

— You are now free from what you was taught — Magnus said — If you find me to be your enemy, to be a threat, then light up the blade.

He let go of her hands and opened his arms.

— You are a threat. — Ahsoka declared — You are a threat more dangerous than anything I ever encountered.

She pulled the hilt away from his chest:

— But you're not my enemy. — She said

The Togrutan handed him the lightsaber, and he rose, fixing his tunic.

— What now? — Tano asked.

— Now, Ahsoka Tano, you act. — He said — You preserve, you guard, you protect. Now, you start your watch.

He offered a hand, which she accepted, and he pulled her up:

— Welcome to the blackguard. — Darth Magnus said.

Ezra, Syall and Cerris walked towards them, and everyone else took that as a clue that the situation was under control:

— So, that is why you came? — Ezra asked — To enlist her into your society?

— Why do you ask questions to which you already know the answer, Bridger? — Magnus asked.

— Because it annoys you. — The Executor replied, smugly.

Behind him, Pellaeon spoke:

— Someone care to explain what has just happened here? — Gilad asked, with impatience.

Ahsoka turned to the Admiral:

— Darth Magnus invited me to his society. — Tano said — I accepted.

— Can't you just send a card next time? — Karyn asked, sarcastically.

Hera approached, with Thrawn right behind her:

— There is more to this, Ahsoka. — The Twi'lek said. —You fight him, them he does something to you in that flash of light, there is more to this.

The Jedi looked at the Sith, and Magnus spoke:

— I shared with her all my knowledge. — He explained.

— I saw his life through my eyes. — She said, and looked straight at Thrawn, with seriousness — Your people are unkind.

The Grand Admiral nodded slightly:

— Yes, we can be, unfortunately. — Thrawn replied.

She didn't probe further, looking at Hera again:

— Mahgg'nuussvyyk Thurzz'bheerg and I share a bond. — Ahsoka said — He imprinted a part of him in me and I imprinted a part of me in him. We are joined through the Force.

— Jeez, you make sound like it is matrimony — Chir'da said — Just adding the sorcery to the mix.

Magnus and Ahsoka both gave a thin smile, so similar it looked creepy:

— We are not married, Chir'da. — Magnus explain — Our bond is through the Force.

Next to Ezra, Sabine spoke:

— So, what is this society you entered? — The Mandalorian asked — What is this Blackguard?

Sabine, Hera, and pretty much everyone, even Thrawn, waited for the answer, and to their surprise, it came from the Executor:

— The Blackguard is a society that rose from the ashes of the Sith Empire a millennia before the our times. — Ezra started — Their... Our purpose is to acquire knowledge.

Before more questions arose, Darth Magnus took over for Ezra, knowing he was not at all comfortable to acknowledge his membership in the society:

— We started all as Sith who believed an alternative to Darth Bane's Rule of Two could only be achieved through knowledge, for that was how he destroyed the short-lived Brotherhood of Darkness. — Magnus said — In doing so, the dogmatic views of the Sith were abandoned for a more pragmatic stance, and in that, our ranks filled with individuals with links to all Force-Wielder organizations, Sith, Jedi, and everything in between.

Syall Tann made herself heard, for she spoke next:

— We spread out throughout the Galaxy, in a handful of libraries and thousands of missions. — Tann explained — Eventually, corruption, greed and arrogance crumbled the Blackguard, but a few individuals south to protect the knowledge and to preserve it, by leaving the known galaxy and coming here.

Cerris'Tai approached as well, and spoke:

— Very talented agents would venture beyond the barrier while we consolidated our foundations here. — The Echani said — The Chiss were chosen for their isolation, and over the centuries we influenced Chiss society into abandoning more barbaric traditions in pursuit of a more refined and structured civilization, one that could in time nurture and make possible for a commoner of unparalleled potential to be educated and nurtured so that he could ascend through the ranks of Chiss society and military, and repeat that feat in a xenophobic Empire, rising to the highest career military position in its ranks.

The Echani pointed at Thrawn, who remained stoic:

— The Blackguard shrunk in the last century, to just a handful of individuals, until the Clone Wars. — Ahsoka said — With conflict came the opportunity for a new crusade in the search of knowledge, but with the aggression of the Grysk and their corruption of the Ruling Houses of Csilla, the preservation of the Chiss Ascendancy became part of the mission as well.

Rae Sloane looked at Magnus and Ahsoka, and asked:

— You chose to do your operations inside the Ascendancy, it is just logical to protect their integrity. — Sloane said — But then, why help establish the Empire of the Hand? We don't answer to the Chiss, even if Thrawn is one of you, and we act independently.

Again, Ezra spoke:

— When Thrawn, Karyn, Gilad and myself finally got through the immediate conflicts of attrition after we arrived here, we were isolated, alone and with a fleet in shambles. — Ezra explained — Magnus felt my presence through the Force and sought me out. He wanted me in the Blackguard, and my price was his help in establishing a foothold in this side of the galaxy.

Cerris moved, under the close scrutiny of Sabine:

— The Empire of the Hand can operate more effectively than civilian governments and keep the stability and order wherever your presence is established. — Tai said. — And the Ascendancy, as the main backer of the Empire, is preserved without the visibility of being on the forefront of oversector politics.

Magnus summoned Ahsoka's lightsabers, handing to the Jedi. She placed them back in their holsters:

— There will come a time when the Ascendancy won't be be able to afford acting from the background. — Magnus replied — But when that time comes, everyone in the Galaxy will have to mobilize. Until such time comes, the CEDF will keep handling the usual affairs and the Empire of the Hand will deal with everything else.

Hera didn't exactly like what she heard:

— Considering we call ourselves Empire of the Hand, after this fortress, named Hand of Thrawn, and our leader is a Chiss of considerable fame all over the Galaxy, I don't think you can stay in the shadows as you think, milord. — Hera pointed out.

The blue eyes of the Sith turned to her:

— The Chiss are in the shadows, so to speak. — Magnus said — I'll be in the front lines, the same as you, Admiral Syndulla.

Thrawn spoke, knowing that Hera didn't know about the Sith's particular situation:

— Darth Magnus leads the 501st Stormtrooper Legion and the 13th Fleet, known collectively as the Pentastar Alignment Command. — Thrawn explained — He holds the same rank Ezra has, as Executor of the Empire.

— So, you and him are equals in authority? — Hera asked Ezra

Ezra turned to the Twi'lek:

— Yes, and no. — Ezra started — Magnus and I have the same authority, but mine supersedes his in the Empire of the Hand and his supersedes mine in the Pentastar Command.

— And we both report to Thrawn. — Magnus added — I operate with more independence, but the objective is the same as yours.

— So you say. — Hera replied — But there are many strange and unexplained things yet.

Hera could almost be sure the Sith had read her mind, given the glance he dispensed both her and Thrawn, and to her horror, Ahsoka looked almost the same way to them both. But it came from the opened door to the turbolift the bomb, delivered by none other than her owner son.

— No, Mom, it wasn't Mister Magnus who made you and Mister Thrawn kiss. — Jacen Syndulla said — It was Dad.

A moment of silence, almost ethereal, took over the room. But it wasn't to last, as a storm of voices echoed the next moment:

— By the Force, you kissed Thrawn? — Sabine asked.

— Damn, Thrawn, I knew you were infatuated by her... — Ezra said — But that was quick, even by my standards.

— Grand Admiral, it is about time, sir! — Karyn said, grinning.

— I was joking about fraternization, but it seems you were serious, huh? — Rae commented, with amusement.

— Good for you, Grand Admiral — Gilad said — And for you as well, Admiral Syndulla.

— Esbern will have a heart attack when he finds out he missed this. — Sil commented.

— Damn, I lost the pool. — Chir'da said — Last time I trust you advice, Ezra.

Hera gave up on trying to respond all the questions and focused on her fellow Twi'lek:

— Pool? You had a bet about us? — Syndulla asked.

Everyone looked at her and Thrawn, and Chir'da said:

— Absolutely. — Ayehe said — Considering how much head over heels the Grand Admiral was about your upcoming arrival, there was not a living soul in Nirauan that didn't know he had feelings for you.

Hera looked at Thrawn, and then back at them:

— That may be, but I wasn't infatuated by anyone. — Hera said

It was Ahsoka turn to contradict her:

— Oh, please, you couldn't shut up about the things you saw in the Empire of the Hand, and how Thrawn surprised you, and how Thrawn did this, and how Thrawn did that, and he was this, and that... — The Togrutan said — It felt like the second coming of the Chosen One.

Hera was taken back by the things she said and did, and felt defensive:

— I-i was just pointing out how the Grand Admiral had changed and improved in a better and noble individual. — Syndulla replied — And besides, I told you that in confidence. What kind of Jedi are you?

— I'm a Jedi, not a priestess. — Ahsoka said, smugly.

Thrawn, who had kept quiet until then, spoke:

— First thing, Bridger, I am not a man of infatuations. — The Chiss said — Second, Ayehe, although the fraternization policy within this Empire is broad-minded, our policy regarding gambling remains the same as the old Empire.

Chir'da gulped, and the Grand Admiral turned to the other Grand Admiral:

— As the Young Mister Syndulla pointed, what transpired between Hera and I was rushed in by outside interference, Sloane — The Chiss said — Differently from our Executor Bridger, I don't put romantic thrills over safety.

He turned around to Karyn and Gilad, nodding at them:

— Thank you for the well wishes, both of you — The Chiss said — But now I must address the most pressing issue at the moment.

Hera saw the Grand Admiral walk towards Jacen and she followed him, as did everyone else:

— Mister Syndulla — Thrawn started.

— Yes, Mister Thrawn? — Jacen replied

— Could you elaborate on the matter of your father making your mother and I kiss? — Thrawn asked.

Jacen smiled and nodded in agreement:

— Dad used the Force to make you both realize you like each other — Jacen said — He spoke more stuff, but I don't remember exactly. You can ask him, if you want.

Hera looked at her son with surprise as he held out a dodecahedron shaped holocron, which started to float and twisting and turning, emitting light that started to take a humanoid shape. Them she heard a very familiar voice, a voice she thought she would never hear again:

— Hello, Hera. — **Kanan Jarrus** appeared from the holocron into a ethereal form.

— ... Kanan... — Hera murmured, astonished.

She approached him with hesitant steps, and he walked towards her. She was surprised to feel his touch, and find out it wasn't just an image. He held her hand and smiled, in the same way that would used to make her knees weak:

— You look amazing, love. — He said — And very nice in white, _Admiral_.

— You are real... — She said, looking once more into those blue eyes she never thought she would see you again.

— As real as the afterlife through a holocron allows. — Kanan said, and immediately added — It is not a prison, Hera. You and Thrawn don't have to worry. It is an extra time, to see those I love, to pass my knowledge along, to teach and be with our son...

She hugged him tightly, feeling her eyes glistening. Ahsoka watched the scene with a smile, when she heard two voices she longed to hear from behind her:

— You did well, Snips. — **Anakin Skywalker** spoke.

— We are very proud of you, Ahsoka. — **Padmé** **Amidala** said.

The Jedi turned to see the couple, and she approached them, hugging both and being hugged by them:

— I missed you guys more than you know. — The Togrutan said.

Syall noticed as more of the Holocrons started appearing, and she spoke in Cheunn to the Sith:

— Manners, Syall. — Magnus said — Only a handful here know our language.

The Chiss looked a bit flustered, and repeated, in basic:

— The departed, they are restless. — Tann said.

— I've noticed. — The Sith replied.

From behind the Chiss female, a very well known figure emerged:

— You bring another Jedi to be caretaker of us and share your secrets with her. — **Wilruff Tarkin** said — Is it really surprising, Lord Magnus, that some of us are apprehensive by your choice of partner?

The Imperials looked surprised at the former third in command of the old Empire:

— Moff Tarkin, is that really you? — Karyn Faro asked.

— I'm afraid so. — The Grand Moff replied, and turning to the Chiss Regent, he spoke — I am glad to see that investing on you paid off, Thrawn. You rebuilt the Empire from scraps.

Thrawn nodded his head at the Force Ghost:

— Thank you, Grand Moff. — Thrawn replied — However, this is not the same Empire.

— Ah, of course not. The Empire of the Hand... — Tarkin said, with dramatic flare — I would accuse you of egotism, had not been your Executor's idea to name this fortress after your hand.

Hera, followed by Kanan, approached the Chiss, and turned to the Grand Moff:

— We are not the old Empire, Governor Tarkin — Hera said, crossing her arms.

— Of course not, Admiral Syndulla. — Wilruff replied — I would not turn an enemy into an ally or trust Jedi so easily.

— One must change first, before one's enemies could trust him. — Syndulla said, with a little aggressiveness

Tarkin remained unfazed:

— Change requires not being a stubborn old Bantha, my dear. — He said.

And from behind him, Skywalker added:

— Or dying and being brought back in a Holocron. — Anakin said.

— Ah, Lord Vader. — Tarkin replied — I didn't want to intrude in your "family" reunion.

He bowed slightly:

— Senator Amidala, Tano. — Tarkin greeted both women.

— Governor Tarkin. — Padmé replied with politeness.

— Tarkin. — Ahsoka said, without the politeness.

Pellaeon looked surprised, even though he didn't think he should, given all that had already transpired:

— I remember you from the Clone Wars — Gilad said — Anakin Skywalker, Jedi general... And you are Darth Vader?

Anakin looked at the Admiral:

— Yes, I am, Admiral Pellaeon. — Skywalker said — Although I am surprised this is not public knowledge by now, considering that my children defeated the Empire.

— Luke Skywalker. — Sloane said — of course, that explains why he's so powerful.

— Hold on, You said "children"... — Faro spoke — Who else are you talking about?

It was Padmé who answered:

— We had two children. Luke is our boy, and our girl you also know — Padmé said — She was raised as royalty by a dear friend in Alderaan, and you know her as Leia Organa.

Rae looked at Gilad and shook her head:

— And people still wonder why the Empire fell? — The Grand Admiral asked — Vader's children, Bridger, Tano, Syndulla, Jarrus, The Barron's brother-in-law... it is almost as if the universe was conspiring against us.

— When your fleet is defeated by space whales, I'd say that is a good indicator that the universe is not on your side. — Thrawn said — That may be a good time to reevaluate your goals and methods.

Kanan was going to crack a joke, when he felt the stirring in the Force:

— They are here. — He said, serious.

— Who? — Hera asked

Anakin pointed at the ethereal forms taking shape from holocrons:

— Trouble. — Skywalker said.

The ominous voices echoed around:

— Usurper.

— Pretender.

— Defiler.

— Unworthy.

— Abomination.

Padmé was quick to rush Ahsoka away, and Kanan and Ezra did the same with Thrawn, Hera and the other officers on their side of the room.

Darth Magnus turned to the holocrons, but didn't take any action.

Most didn't recognized the ghosts of **Darth Bane** , **Naga Sadow** , **Exar Kun** and **Vitiate,** but they all recognized the fifth individual, in his characteristic robes. **Darth Sidious** , know to the Galaxy as Emperor **Palpatine** , glared angrily at the Chiss Sith Lord:

— Your travesty of the Sith has gone too far. — Sidious said, summoning his lightsaber.

Five blades lit up against Darth Magnus...

* * *

END OF CHAPTER


End file.
